£280,000 Chichester home bought by council for families facing homelessness
Chichester District Council is to pay £280,000 for a three-bedroom home to use as temporary housing.
An offer has been made and accepted on the semi-detached home – subject to contract – and the council is also exploring the idea of buying a four-bedroom home as well.
Rhys Chant, cabinet member for communities & welleing, said: “The council taking this opportunity absolutely is about backing local families and making sure that we can house local families when they face homelessness.”
The purchase was made possible thanks to a £1.6m grant from the government under Round 4 of the Local Authority Housing Fund.
The aim of the fund is to reduce the use of expensive nightly paid accommodation for families in need, such as bed & breakfast – and also to provide settled housing for Afghan families being supported through the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
To receive the grant, the council has to deliver both parts – four homes for temporary accommodation and four for the resettlement programme. The council will own the former while its registered provider will own the latter.
The council also has to contribute to the cost of the homes. Over the past three rounds of funding since 2023, the grant has covered around 40 per cent of the cost of the 34 homes purchased across the district.
Councillors also agreed that the cost limit placed on any homes it may buy under the Local Authority Housing Fund scheme should be increased from £250,000 to £350,000.